Windows 7 Win 7 - Which one?

[cguil_uk]

Hoping to buy a gaming laptop from Novatech but not sure which system to go for??
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/laptop/range/i5pro.html

I am an amateur genealogist and photographer and enjoy on-line gaming such as Runescape and some of the Zynga games via Facebook.

Home, professional or ultimate - pros and cons please?

 

[Reefsmoka]

Home will do the trick for you.

Heres a little guide: http://www.intowindows.com/difference-between-windows-7-home-premium-professional-ultimate-editions/

 

[cguil_uk]

Home will do the trick for you.

Heres a little guide: http://www.intowindows.com/difference-between-windows-7-home-premium-professional-ultimate-editions/

TY

 

[cguil_uk]

Probably Cheaper to Upgrade my Existing System to Win 7 from XP.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Probably Cheaper to Upgrade my Existing System to Win 7 from XP.

An upgrade is a false economy, a fresh install is advisable.

Not just advisable - essential.

You don't want a brand new installation of Windows 7 running loaded up with the detritus of a ten year old operating system.

And yes, Home Premium is fine for Home use, it's the version I use.

And FWIW I think Win 7 is a lot better than XP.

 

[muckshifter]

An upgrade is a false economy, a fresh install is advisable.

Not just advisable - essential.

You don't want a brand new installation of Windows 7 running loaded up with the detritus of a ten year old operating system.

And yes, Home Premium is fine for Home use, it's the version I use.

And FWIW I think Win 7 is a lot better than XP.

secondeded

 

[V_R]

Rule of thumb is: If you have to ask, go Home Premium.

 

[Bryansix]

The one nice thing that Win 7 Ultimate has is Bitlocker to encrypt your whole hard drive in case the laptop gets stolen. There are free whole drive encryption programs but this one is built into windows and uses the TPM module in the mobo.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I personally prefer Professional, simply for the ability to RDP into my box at home. Way easier.

However, there is a fix for Home Premium and RDP.

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/remote-desktop-windows-7-home-premium-t4033533.html

 

[EvanDavis]

Home Premium is good enough for the average home user, and you can save a few pennies by purchasing an upgrade disk over a full disk. V_R pointed this out in one of his threads

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Home Premium is good enough for the average home user, and you can save a few pennies by purchasing an upgrade disk over a full disk. V_R pointed this out in one of his threads

I agree with FBS up there. While money can seem like the best choice when purchasing, I would advise against an upgrade copy.

What happens when you pave over an area that is not stable? You end up with a road that is horrible to use. Ultimately, this could be what you end up with. A crappy road that is no fun to use.

 

[EvanDavis]

I would advise against an upgrade copy.

The upgrade disk and the full disk are identical, there is no difference between them other than price

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

The upgrade disk and the full disk are identical, there is no difference between them other than price

Ok.

To be more specific then...Don't pay for a COA that only allows you to upgrade the OS. Pay for the full/retail version of Windows 7. In any case, the idea is a fresh install that does not bring over anything from XP rather than an upgrade that may use certain core components.

Once the fresh install has been performed, you can buy the "upgrade" from a lower version of 7 to a higher one. The new COA will unlock these features. Although, there are a lot of work arounds to the unlocks.

 

[floppybootstomp]

This from This article here

Anyone who tried to install their upgrade version of Windows 7 to a fresh drive was treated to a cruel wake up call. Not when they installed the OS, not even after they installed all their applications, but when the time came to activate. The deal with upgrade media is simple, an existing, and activated copy of Windows must exist on the hard drive prior to installation, or be prepared to start over. To make matters worse, the activation warning doesn't even give you a phone number to call and appeal your case.

The article goes on to point out there is a registry hack which can overcome this problem which is probably illegal from Microsoft's point of view.

However, that article was written 19 months ago and states at the end that Win 7 SP1 may well overcome the hack.

For those without much experience or who are nervous at having to edit the registry the relatively small amount extra for a full copy removes all the uncertainty and hassle.

At time of writing you can pick up a full copy of Win 7 Home Premium 64 Bit for around £76.00 inc postage Link

 

[Nano_moo]

floppy, I have to agree...but if you have backed up your files from XP, then you have to copy them from cd to Windows 7 using Media Player, and re-download programs you used in the past

 

[floppybootstomp]

floppy, I have to agree...but if you have backed up your files from XP, then you have to copy them from cd to Windows 7 using Media Player, and re-download programs you used in the past

Ya don't say.